


his favorite day of the year

by MrsNoraPalmer



Series: 25 Days of Darhkatom [15]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, almost the whole fic is just ray thinking about how much he loves his family, like a lot of fluff, ray's mushy thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 15:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17164688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsNoraPalmer/pseuds/MrsNoraPalmer
Summary: Ray and Nora get to come home from the hospital after having Tori, these are Ray's thoughts as he drives home with his new family.





	his favorite day of the year

**Author's Note:**

> As always thanks to my golden girls for giving this a read through! 
> 
> Dedicated to my newest friend Dee! <3
> 
> Day fifteen of 25 days of Darhkatom! Feel free to click the through the series to see the others! Basically, I will be posting all loosely related (unless stated otherwise) fics for 25 days straight!

They were going home today. Their first day in their home as a family. Ray took one of his most precious cargo and loaded her into the back of their SUV onto the car seat mount. Their daughter stayed asleep as the seat clicked into place and Nora, his other most precious cargo, climbed in and settled into the seat next to Tori’s car seat.

“I think I’m gonna sit back here.” Nora smiled. “You drive, I’ll keep an eye on our best girl.”

Ray smiled and kissed her softly. He thanked the hospital staff that helped to the car and then climbed into the driver’s seat. He glanced back and Nora who was adjusting the blanket on Tori. They were both perfect. He caught her eyes and smiled at her.

He put the car into drive and focused on their trek home. Ray didn’t have the radio, he simply wanted to look at the scenery in front of him. Fall changing to winter. Halloween was still about a week away but he knew it would only get colder from here on out. Ray knew this drive like the back of his hand. He knew it from when he was a teen and needed to go to the ER after tinkering with an invention and slicing his hand open. He also knew because once he and Nora moved into his childhood home they were heading to doctors appointments to check on the baby. Now she was here and they were bringing her home. So much had changed.

He thought back to a year ago, two years ago even. Two years ago he was a full time Legend. Two years ago he was living his life day by day, going on missions, tinkering with his suit when he wasn’t, and going to bed only to get up and do the routine all over again, and he knew after Kendra the chance of finding love again were slim. First with Felicity and her being in love with Oliver for a good part of their relationship and ultimately choosing Oliver, then Kendra and the whole soulmates thing with Carter. Everyone was destined to have someone other than him. And he had resolved himself to that and focused on helping others.

But by the following year the most wonderful person came into his life. He was two months away from asking her to be his wife, and they’d only been dating for three months. Officially. Their feelings for each other had always been there. There had been so many close calls. But it seemed that everything worked out anyways.

Because now he was escorting his _wife_ and his _baby girl_ home from the hospital. He sucked in a breath. He was a father now. It hit him when Victoria was first placed in his arms. Meeting her as a fully grown adult had been one thing. But now she was here and real and he would raise her into adulthood. He would be there for it all. The tiny bundle, so perfectly half him and half Nora. He loved Victoria so much already, there was an inexplicable blooming of warmth in his chest especially every time he glanced in the rear view and saw both of his girls.

Nora, given that she was a demon vessel for twenty years, had shared some reservations about actually being a good mom in practice. He would never be so glad to prove her wrong. She took to it immediately. Taking care of Tori was as innate and woven into Nora as her magic was. Watching his wife with their daughter was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever witnessed in that hospital room next to the actual birth of their child.

A wave of peace settled over Ray and he wondered what it would be like as their family aged, picking up Tori from school or soccer or dance or whatever interests her heart led her to. He could see her thick dark brown hair bouncing in pigtails as she bounded towards the car door, he could see her throwing a duffle bag his way and ask if her friend could stay the night for a slumber party. He knew Tori was only the first of small Palmers they would be bringing home over the next five years. They were ready. They needed to adjust as new parents do to what Tori’s routine will be like, of course, but they couldn’t wait, Ray couldn’t wait for the start of the rest of their lives and this chapter had the most beautiful opening lines.

Even before Nora told him, or rather Gideon told him, of all the children to come, and even before he had met Nora, Ray always wanted something more substantial than what he had growing up if he had a family of his own. Sure by two years ago he figured it just wasn’t happening, he’d be the cool tech uncle handing out the latest Palmer Tech phone every year, but there was still something buried deep inside that knew given the chance, he’d want something more than his childhood. If he had children one day he wanted their upbringings to be full of life and love. He and Sydney still talked occasionally, they’d see him at Christmas, but they were never close growing up despite being fraternal twins. Syd got out there and did stuff with the passion Ray threw into quietly working on his inventions.

When their dad left, their mom put food on the table and was there to comfort them late at night if they ever got scared but other than that… she was working. He knew she had so much on her plate and as he got older he hated that she had to sacrifice so much. He knew then that he would never create a problem like his dad had for his future family.

Ray tightened his grip on the steering wheel, he remembered next to nothing about his dad other than what he read in Christmas and birthday cards sent twice a year out of obligation. He glanced back at Nora and their daughter and it baffled him how someone could leave a situation like this. Ray couldn’t put into words the love he felt for his family and so when he thought about how his dad could just leave like that. There must have been no love to start with.

He’d been in love before. He almost married Anna but then she died, he was serious with Felicity but she chose someone else, he almost married Kendra but she also chose someone else. He knew what love _and_ loss felt like in the same relationship so when he met Nora, love was not slipping through his fingers again. If she didn’t love him back, period, that was fine, but Ray knew from the minute that he felt the spark as their hands touched, that he would have a hard time shaking the images of holding her close, loving her, being with her. He fell for her early on even though it would be some months before they actually acted on their feelings. Once they did, Ray felt like he could never let go of Nora. She had grabbed a hold of his heart and he had never been happier.

He glanced back at his girls again and saw that Nora had dozed off. Her head was at such an angle that she must have fallen asleep looking at Tori. He looked back at the road and saw their street coming up. He put the turn signal on and turned onto their street. Their house was all the way down on the right. Ray hadn’t been sure how Nora would feel about moving into his childhood home but when he found out that the couple living there were selling it after becoming empty nesters, he knew he couldn’t pass it up. He had dreamed about this day, pulling into the driveway, bringing his family home from the hospital, ready to start forever with them. Ray stared at his house, they hadn’t decorated much for Halloween because the baby’s due date had been so close. Ray didn’t mind either because October 23rd was now his favorite day in October. He couldn’t wait until Christmas though. Then he could go all out and the thought of him doing so only for a confused Nora holding a sleeping Tori to come out and investigate filled him with no end of joy. He cut the engine and the change caused Nora to stir.

Ray got out of the car and opened the door for his wife. She unbuckled and climbed out, leaning onto his side, still somewhat sleepy. Ray kissed her forehead and told her to head on inside, he’d get their girl and the hospital bag. Nora nodded and made her way up to the house. Ray removed the car seat and grabbed the diaper bag and small duffle bag they had brought to the hospital with Nora’s change of clothes. Ray locked up the car and saw Nora standing at the front door.

“Hey, don’t you have a key on you?” He asked.

“I do,” she said with a small smile. “But I wanted to share this moment with you, walking into the house for the first time with our baby girl.” She reached up and kissed his cheek and peeked at Tori, still asleep, beneath all the blankets.

Ray grinned and watched Nora unlock the door and they both stepped inside. Not much looked different from their perspective. There was a bassinet in the living room but other than that no one would know by this point that they had a baby. They moved down the hallway and into Tori’s nursery. Gorgeous purple hues decorated the walls complemented soft white and purple bedding in her dark wood crib. Ray sat the carrier down and gently removed Tori who didn’t seem bothered by being held by her father. He looked at Nora and gave her a soft kiss. _Now_ they were home.


End file.
